The Heart of a Thief
by FanimeGirl4Ever
Summary: What happens when a runaway child shows up on the doorstep of a house of thieves?
1. Chapter 1

**Yami Marik will be called Malik. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.**

"_Security cameras are taken care of." _

Bakura reached up to adjust the volume on his earpiece.

"Keep watch. We're heading in," he whispered, turning his gaze to Akefia and nodding.

The duo slithered through the window that someone had conveniently left open. People these days could be oh so very helpful. Five steps forward, three steps to the left- bingo, there was the safe; right where Marik told them it would be. Pale fingers cracked the combination easily and the steel door swung open. But what the two thieves weren't expecting was an alarm inside the safe.

A high pitched wail sliced through the air.

Akefia snatched the diamond and sapphire blue eyes white dragon statuette and ran to the window. His lavender eyes scanned to the left, expecting to see his companion beside him. However, Bakura was still kneeling beside the safe.

"What are you doing, 'Kura? Run!"

Bakura waved a hand dismissively and clutched his earpiece closer.

"Listen to me, you have five seconds to get up off the floor or I swear I'll come over there and drag you out the window!"

"Unless you want to get caught, I suggest you stay away from the window until the coast is clear. Malik told me that there are three armed guards just below the window. Once they are… removed we can proceed."

"_Coast is clear. We'll be at the apartment if ya need us. Remember to throw the police off your trail before you come home,"_

The police burst through the door just as the thieves slipped out through the window.

Fire tore through Bakura's lungs, his breath coming in short and shallow gasps. Either the cops were getting better or he was just getting predictable. He stepped into a crevice in the alley wall, almost blending into the ominous shadows.

All he had to do know was wait for the cops to run past foolishly and then he could go home.

It was close to midnight when Akefia and Bakura met up outside the apartment they shared with Marik and Malik.

"Took ya long enough. Must have been one tough chase," Malik joked, throwing water bottles to the duo.

"You have no idea how ea-…"The doorbell rung, cutting Akefia's statement short.

"If it's the cops, don't answer it."

"Really, Marik? I was going to invite them in for tea and crumpets!" Bakura snapped back sarcastically, looking through the peephole in the door. "Unless the police is sending small homeless children to do their bidding, we're safe."

He opened the door a bit.

"P-please excuse me s-sir. I'm d-dreadfully sorry. C-could you help me? I-I'm so cold and hungry." The child's weak voice barely reached Bakura's ears.

Before the pale thief knew what he was doing, he opened the door fully and ushered the child into the apartment.

"Are you crazy? We can't take care of this weakling. Think of how often we're on the run. Not to mention he'll eventually spill our secret and-…"

"Malik, just give him a chance."

"Why?" Malik hissed, "Why should we take pity on anyone? Nobody took pity on us! Who cares about us? NOBODY, that's who. So why should we care about this weak pitiful excuse for life? Why should we give it a second chance?"

"He's just a child. A second chance could save his life."

"Fine, but you're taking care of it."

Malik stormed out of the room, grabbing Marik's wrist and dragging him along. Marik cast an apologetic glance at the child before he was pulled into the darkness of the hallway. Akefia handed the child his bottle of water and followed the blondes.

Bakura sighed and knelt down next to the strange child. "Hey, kiddo. I'm sorry about my…friends. Don't worry, I'll take care of you. But you have to trust me, okay?" He reached up and brushed some of the dirt and blood-matted hair away from teary chocolate brown eyes. "Can you tell me your name?"

"R-Ryou."

"See that wasn't so difficult. Now can you tell me why you were out wandering the streets so late at night? Especially in November."

Ryou whimpered and closed his eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to spill. Horrible memories flickered through his mind, memories of not so long ago, memories that left his scarred- both physically and mentally.

He didn't realize he was crying until he felt himself being hugged- one arms around his waist, the other running through his hair soothingly.

"Ryou, it's okay if you don't tell me. But it might make you feel better if you do."

"Promise to listen?" Ryou looked up at Bakura with pleading eyes.

"I promise."

Ryou took a deep breath and began. "My life was fine until about a year ago. My father started getting angry. He and my mother would get into fights- something about the… fine Nancies?"

"Finances. It means money, Ry." Bakura corrected.

"And then he started hitting her. She would tell us that she was fine, and not to worry about her. One day my sister, Amane, asked dad to stop hurting mom. After that, he started hurting Amane as well. Last night I got caught in the middle of one of mom and dad's fights. H-he… He k-killed…" Ryou broke down crying again, clutching the front of Bakura's shirt desperately. "I j-just want my mom a-and sister back!"

Bakura felt sympathy tear at his heart, ripping and slashing its way to the core, where his worst memories were hidden away. Memories of his parents, killed right in front of his eyes; Memories of the making of the cursed items. They were memories that He and Akefia tried to keep locked up and forgotten. Memories were painful, and pain had no place in the heart of a thief.

"I-I know how hard it is to see someone you love being killed. I know how difficult it is to run away from the life you knew and loved to start a new one on the streets. A-and I…" He paused to dry the tears running down Ryou's face, "I want you to know that you don't have to be alone like I was. I'll keep you safe. I promise."

Ryou nodded weakly, sniffling pitifully and drying the remaining tears with his dirty and torn coat sleeve.


	2. Chapter 2

**TheAnimeFanGirl challenged me to write in first person. This is probably the ONLY time I will ever do this in this story. Flashbacks are a nightmare for me to write too. Needless to say, this isn't my favorite chapter. **

It had taken a matter of seconds for Ryou to fall asleep. The poor child had been through so much emotional stress.

"I really wish I knew how to take care of you. I wish I could protect you. And most of all, I wish I could take away your pain," Bakura whispered. He sighed and ran his fingers through Ryou's hair, taking care not to pull too hard on the matted snarls. "What am I going to do?"

"I'm sorry, 'Kura."

Bakura almost jumped at the voice, but didn't look up.

"Are you honestly sorry, or did Marik force you to do this?"

"Listen, I heard everything, and…"

Brown eyes, tinted blood red with anger snapped up. "You had no right to just eavesdrop on a personal matter!" Bakura hissed through his teeth.

"I'm sorry! I just wanted to know wh..."

"And asking directly was inconvenient because?"

"I wanted to understand why y..."

"Well do you understand now? Was it worth betraying what little trust I had in you? Are you happy now?"

Malik sighed sadly and turned to go back to his room, "I truly am sorry Bakura." And with that, he turned and walked away, the front door slamming behind him.

_***Bakura POV***_

I winced as the door slammed. "Why am I so stupid? I may have just destroyed the best thing that ever happened to me," I murmured, shaking my head.

Malik had been there for me ever since we ran into each other on the streets. We had taken care of each others' cuts, bruises, and broken bones. Of course, Marik and Akefia had been at our sides every step of the way.

_*Flashback*_

"_Split up!" I called, veering left, away from Akefia. He nodded and disappeared into the woods, weaving between trees and hiding in the shadows._

_**BANG!**_

_My hand flew to my right shoulder, already feeling the pain explode and the blood bubble to the surface. I bit my lip and kept running, twisting and turning through the narrow alleys. I had almost forgotten how bad bullet wounds stung._

_**BANG!**_

_Fortunately, this bullet hit too far down and to the left, hitting the grimy brick wall instead of me._

"_Damn." A dark voice whispered._

_I would have frozen in shock, had I not been running for my life. Instead, I ran into a crevice in the wall, waiting for the cops to run by._

"_Come on guys, he went this way!" Heavy footsteps ran past me._

_I slunk out of my hiding spot and crept over to the strange voice, kneeling down beside it._

"_How bad did he get you?" I asked, keeping my voice hushed._

_In a matter of seconds, I was pulled into a weak headlock. "Who are you and who do you work for?" _

_*End Flashback*_

I still don't know why he believed anything I had said that night. But he did, and we ended up going to my house to tend to our wounds.

Malik had stayed up at night, calming me down when I had nightmares from my childhood. He didn't quite understand them, but he held me close and listened to my hysteric cries.

He kept me sane.

And what did I do in return? Disregard his feelings and insult him. I was a terrible person; there was no way around it.

I stood and carried Ryou to the couch, draping a blanket around him.

"Akefia?" I knocked on his door. "Can you take care of Ryou for a bit?"

He opened the door just enough to stare at me skeptically. "Who's Ryou?"

"The child."

"Oh, I guess I can."

"Thank you."

I turned and ran to the front door, grabbing my coat in the process. I had to find Malik.


End file.
